The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
Chapter I
The first chapter of Walt and Mearsheimer’s new book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy is entitled “The Great Benefactor.” The authors expose the unparalleled financial, military and diplomatic aid that has been siphoned off of U.S. taxpayers and donated to Israel over the years. Several points they cover are –
1. In the early days the U.S. gave Israel modest foreign aid and sought to steer a neutral course between Israel and its Arab neighbors. We averaged $63 million a year in aid between 1949 to 1965, the amount then soared to $634.5 million by 1971, and since 1979 our foreign aid tab for Israel has routinely exceeded $3 billion annually.
2. We allow Israel certain privileges in how they use our money that we extend to no other nation. Some examples: Israel receives all the aid at once in a lump sum payment rather than quarterly like other nations; other nations must spend all military assistance on U.S. made equipment, but Israel may spend 25% of the aid on Israeli made equipment; Israel is the only nation that does not have to account for how it spends our economic aid.
3. Our support is virtually unconditional: “Israel gets aid despite its refusal to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty and its various WMD programs. It gets its aid when it builds settlements in the Occupied Territories…It also gets aid when it annexes territory it has conquered…sells U.S. military technology to potential enemies like China, conducts espionage operations on U.S. soil, or uses U.S. weapons in ways that violate U.S. law…And it gets its aid even when Israeli leaders renege on pledges made to U.S. presidents”.
For more see:
NYTimes First Chapters
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